Problem: Simplify the following expression: $z = \dfrac{-8y - 1}{y} \div \dfrac{1}{2}$
Answer: Dividing by a number is the same as multiplying by its inverse. $z = \dfrac{-8y - 1}{y} \times \dfrac{2}{1}$ When multiplying fractions, we multiply the numerators and the denominators. $z = \dfrac{(-8y - 1) \times 2} {(y) \times 1}$ $z = \dfrac{-16y - 2}{y}$